We report the measurement of the thermal conductivity of a suspended single-layer graphene. The room temperature values of the thermal conductivity in the range (4.84 ± 0.44) × 103 to (5.30 ± 0.48) × 103 W/mK were extracted for a single-layer graphene from the dependence of the Raman G peak frequency on the excitation laser power and independently measured G peak temperature coefficient. The extremely high value of the thermal conductivity suggests that graphene can outperform carbon nanotubes in heat conduction. The superb thermal conduction property of graphene is beneficial for the proposed electronic applications and establishes graphene as an excellent material for thermal management.

Yes graphene has high thermal conductivity, it's been known about since...graphene was discovered.

But the problem is, getting the material into some usable application. You can't just stick a wafer of graphene between the heatsink, as thats not how TIM works (and would be pretty hard to work with). Youd have to mix it with something, and break it up (reducing the efficiency) to make it conform.

Then you'd still have the main problem of any TIM. people not applying it properly.

Carbon materials are very directional.Yes they are fantastic materials for thermal management , but , correctly engineering it is very expensive.The lasers used in underwater fiberoptic repeaters are on diamond chips....for thousands of dollars a unit.

It's really a waste to worry about 'super fantastic TIM'....I'd rather Intel make cpu's on diamond substrates.....

That is the challenge. A thin graphene pad would probably work well. It is flexible.

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It's not so much flexibility as plasticity which is needed. Graphene is more like dry paper (flexible but not plastic), TIM is more like jelly (plastic and flexible and will conform to molds). Need to make Graphene paper mache somehow.

Nope, you just need Intel to make the top of the die accurate to the 1/10,000th of an inch without any holes in it. Then you can get a 1/10,000th of an inch cpu cooler which mates perfectly to the die without the need for TIM at all.

A Graphene IHS will probably be the first step in using it for cpu cooling.

That's probably a decade away, realistically, factoring in the lack of mainstream demand for high performance (hot) chips that are increasingly being sidelined, business-wise, in favour of low power solutions for mobile devices.

There are no more "big" jumps left in TIM. We're already to the point where delta T across the CPU to CPU cooler interface is in the 1/10ths of degrees using existing high end TIM, you really want to shell out $50 for an "improvement" that is less then instrument error?

There are no more "big" jumps left in TIM. We're already to the point where delta T across the CPU to CPU cooler interface is in the 1/10ths of degrees using existing high end TIM, you really want to shell out $50 for an "improvement" that is less then instrument error?

Click to expand...

They'd probably have to make CPU covers and heatsink bases out of nano-constructed surfaces for maximum perfection to make a difference... and perhaps utilize graphene in these rather than as TIM (actually, perhaps graphene to graphene to graphene would work well?).

There are no more "big" jumps left in TIM. We're already to the point where delta T across the CPU to CPU cooler interface is in the 1/10ths of degrees using existing high end TIM, you really want to shell out $50 for an "improvement" that is less then instrument error?

The purpose of a proper CPU TIM is not to form a layer between the CPU and the heatsink (as such a graphite sheet would). For the most efficient heat transfer as much metal-to-metal contact as possible between the two is best. The TIM is only there to fill in the minuscule gaps that exist when the two are joined together, as air is really a bad thermal conductor.

Any time you see a thermal pad or such used it's because it's cheaper, for ease of installation, and/or heat transfer isn't as critical.

graphene bonded with a water set bond agent ( like use on dentures LOL) or a combo effect of super glue and the thin a hair graphene layer or few?

effectively allowing you to "peel" the graphene TIM pad (like those listerine pocket pack films) put on the cpu etc real careful and give a good firm press to "break" the small glassy seal on the "side down" use will make the solvent/bond agent seep through and make contact proper with heatsinks.. no delid etc needed... problem solved... should not be all that $$ either, probably .000001 per application ^.^

They do post it notes, they do similar for glass protectors, I have seen like such for glass crack fixing, why not graphene etc peel and stick "pads" ^.^

I call 1% profit world wide rights and will gladly be a tester and such as well.